Keaton Henson | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | 24 March 1988 35) London, England | (age
Genres | Folk rock, classical, indie folk, rock |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, visual artist, poet |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, piano |
Years active | 2009–present |
Labels | Oak Ten Records Mercury KX/Decca/Universal Classics |
Website | keatonhenson |
Keaton Henson (born 24 March 1988) [1] is an English musician, composer, [2] visual artist, and poet. He has released six studio albums, a wordless graphic novel titled Gloaming, published by Pocko, [3] [4] and a book of poetry called Idiot Verse. [5] Henson suffers from anxiety, and as a result, he rarely plays concerts. [6]
Keaton Henson was born in 1988 in London. He is the son of actor Nicky Henson and ballet dancer Marguerite Porter, and the half-brother of composer Christian Henson. [7]
Henson began his career as an illustrator. He designed the artwork for various albums including Dananananaykroyd's Hey Everyone! and Enter Shikari's Take to the Skies . [8] He recorded songs in his apartment in London, initially purely for his own consumption. He gave a recording of one of the songs as a gift to his best friend, [9] and was encouraged to put music online. [7] In November 2010, his debut album Dear... was released on Motive Sounds Recordings, in a self-made limited edition. [10] In 2011 he released the single "Metaphors" on Porchlight Records. He also recorded "Don't Be Afraid" for the Tormented soundtrack.
Henson's musical breakthrough came when Zane Lowe played "You Don't Know How Lucky You Are" on BBC Radio 1 for the first time on 7 September 2011, saying: "That piece of music right there...is one of the most special pieces of music I've heard in a very very long time". Lowe said that the reaction from listeners had been "brilliant". [11]
Henson formed his own record company, Oak Ten Records, and officially re-released his debut album Dear... in 2012. [9] The album was critically acclaimed: the BBC reported "Keaton Henson isn't a show-off, but with talent like this, he has every right to be". [12] On Metacritic, the album received a score of 70 out of 100. [13] Dear... didn't enter the charts, but three singles were released–"Charon", "Small Hands" and "You Don't Know How Lucky You Are"–all accompanied by music videos. The video for "Charon" was shortlisted for a UK MVA award in Best Budget Indie/Rock Category. [14] "Small Hands" won Best Music Video at the Rushes Soho Shorts Film Festival in 2012. [15]
In July 2012, Henson released The Lucky. In November 2012, Henson designed a t-shirt for the Yellow Bird Project to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Henson wrote and recorded his album Birthdays in less than a year. He travelled to California to record the album and worked with American producer Joe Chiccarelli. [16] It was released in February 2013. The BBC stated: "Up there, warmed by the fire, he's cloistered away from Twitter and all the other evils of this parish. There's no better way to shut out the din than by putting this record on". [17] A limited edition version of the album was released featuring three bonus songs and a hand-painted piece of art taken from a large painting by Henson which had been cut into 196 pieces. Birthdays had three singles: "Lying to You", "Sweetheart, What Have You Done To Us", and "You" (released as a limited edition 7" single for Record Store Day with an etching by Henson on the b-side). The album was released as a limited book edition, featuring illustrations made by different artists accompanying the songs. [18]
In 2012 and 2013, Henson performed sporadically, usually in small venues, galleries, or museums. His art show "Hithermost" took place at the Pertwee, Anderson & Gold gallery in London in January 2013 and "sold quickly". [19] In August 2013, NPR Music published a live Tiny Desk Concert on its website and on YouTube. The songs performed included "You Don't Know How Lucky You Are", "Sweetheart What Have You Done to Us" and "You". In late 2013, he performed in three churches around England. On 16 June 2014, he performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London as part of the James Lavelle-curated Meltdown festival. [20] On the day of the concert, Henson released the album Romantic Works , featuring cellist Ren Ford. It was streamed exclusively on The Guardian website [21] and later on Spotify.
In early 2015, Henson composed a score for Young Men, a dance project from BalletBoyz, which was performed at the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London as a co-production with 14–18 NOW. [22] His first three albums were re-pressed on vinyl with bonus tracks in June 2015. [23] In October 2015, he released an album as part a side project under the pseudonym Behaving. The album was more electronic sounding than his previous releases and was first streamed on Soundcloud and iTunes. [24] The same month also saw the release of Idiot Verse, Henson's debut poetry collection. [25]
In September 2016, Henson released Kindly Now. In July 2018, his Six Lethargies for string orchestra was premiered at the Barbican Centre by Britten Sinfonia. The 70-minute work was jointly commissioned by the Barbican, Vivid Sydney, and National Concert Hall, Dublin. It was performed at the Sydney Opera House and released as an LP in 2019.
In May 2020, Henson released his single "Career Day", his first release featuring vocals since "Epilogue". A follow-up single to 2016's Kindly Now , it was followed by the single "Ontario" in June. On 23 October 2020, Henson released Monument. The album features Philip Selway of Radiohead on drums and percussion. The album deals with his father Nicky Henson and his battle with a terminal illness. The album was completed two days before his father's death. A follow-up EP to 'Monument', 'Fragments' was released on 27th August 2021. Recorded at the same time as Monument, it features eight tracks, including "Marionette", a collaboration with Julien Baker, and the singles "Before Growing Old", "Limb", and "No Love Lost."
Henson also provided the music for the 2020 film Supernova directed by Harry Macqueen. The soundtrack was released by city Lakeshore Records on 29 January 2021. [26]
On the 9 June 2023, Keaton Henson released his 7th Studio Album 'House Party'. Marking a stark contrast in sound from previous works, having opted for a more pop/rock oriented sound.
"Envy" was released on the 15 February 2023, accompanied by a music video. In interviews, Keaton mentioned that the concept of the album is from an alternative timeline in which an alternative Keaton Henson embraces the limelight and pursues fame, abandoning friends and family whilst simultaneously winding up all alone in the process.
"The Meeting Place" was released on the 15 March 2023 accompanied by a animation video; described in reviews and interviews as something on the soundtrack of "10 Things I Hate About You".
"I'm Not There" was released on the 26 April accompanied by a music video.
On 24 May 2023, "Late To You" was released accompanied by a music video.
Henson has appeared on The Flight's EP Hangman, The Staves EP Mexico and with the London electronic group Unkle on several tracks including "Farewell", "Sonata" and "Sick Lullaby" from The Road: Part 1 and "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" from The Road: Part II (Lost Highway) . He has co-writing and vocal credits on Daudi Matsiko's King of Misery (from the 2024 album The King of Misery). [27]
Henson's music has featured in the BBC Three zombie drama In the Flesh (2013–2014), Derek, Elementary, The Blacklist and in the 2014 film X+Y (known as A Brilliant Young Mind in the U.S.). An excerpt from his poetry was quoted in the first episode of STARZ television series The Gloaming. His song "Teach Me" was played on the TV show Greys Anatomy in season 9, episode 19.
Year | Title |
2010/2012 | Dear...
|
2011 | B-Sides and Rarities
|
2013 | Birthdays
|
2014 | Romantic Works featuring Ren Ford
|
2015 | Behaving
|
2015 | 5 Years
|
2016 | Kindly Now
|
2019 | Six Lethargies
|
2020 | Monument
|
2021 | Fragments
|
2023 | House Party
|
Year | Location | Title |
---|---|---|
12/12/2011 | Maida Vale Studios, London, England | Festive Festival |
04/10/2012 | The Cinema Museum, London, UK | The Cinema Museum |
07/02/2013 | The Jeffrey Room at the Mitchell Library, Glasgow, UK | Museum Tour 2013 |
01/02/2013 | Preston Park Museum, Stockton-on-Tees, UK | |
14/02/2013 | Manchester Museum, Manchester, England | |
18/02/2013 | Freud Museum, London, England | |
28/02/2013 | History of Science Museum, Oxford, England | |
01/03/2013 | History of Science Museum, Oxford, England | |
08/03/2013 | Booth Museum Of Natural History, Brighton, UK | |
08/04/2013 | Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, New York, NY, USA | Housing Works Bookstore Cafe |
09/10/2013 | The Chapel, San Francisco, CA, USA | The Chapel, San Francisco |
11/04/2013 | Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever, Los Angeles, CA, USA | Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever |
12/09/2013 | Emmanuel Centre, London, England | Emmanuel Centre |
11/10/2013 | The Methodist Church of Echo Park, Los Angeles, CA, USA | The Methodist Church |
19/10/2013 | St Bartholomew's Church, Brighton, England | St Bartholomew's Church |
29/10/2013 | St Andrew's in the Square, Glasgow, UK | St Andrew's in the Square |
05/11/2013 | Église Saint-Eustache, Paris, France | Les Inrocks Festival 2013 |
07/11/2013 | Geertekerk, Utrecht, Netherlands | Geertekerk |
11/11/2013 | Town Hall, Manchester, England | Town Hall |
16/05/2014 | Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, UK | Queen Elizabeth Hall |
11/05/2015 | Royal Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands | Holland Festival 2015 |
15/08/2015 | National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland | National Concert Hall |
27/11/2015 | Church of the Resurrection, Katowice, Poland | XXIV Festival Ars Cameralis |
04/02/2016 | Roundhouse, London, UK | Roundhouse |
10/06/2016 | New Theatre, Cardiff, UK | Festival Of Voice |
23/10/2016 | Café de la Danse, Paris, France | Café de la Danse |
26/10/2016 | Passionskirche, Berlin, Germany | Passionskirche |
01/11/2016 | Royal Theatre Carré (Koninklijk Theater Carré), Amsterdam, Netherlands | Royal Theatre Carré |
18/11/2016 | London Palladium, London, UK | London Palladium |
14/01/2017 | Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever, Los Angeles, CA, USA | Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever |
17/01/2017 | The Great Hall, Toronto, Canada | The Great Hall |
30/01/2017 | Konzerthaus, Vienna, Austria | Konzerthaus |
11/02/2017 | Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Ireland | Olympia Theatre |
31/05/2019 | Sydney Opera House, Australia | Vivid Festival |
Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career they have been a power trio with drummer Tré Cool, who replaced John Kiffmeyer in 1990 before the recording of the band's second studio album, Kerplunk (1991). Before taking its current name in 1989, Green Day was called Blood Rage, then Sweet Children. They were part of the late 1980s/early 1990s Bay Area punk scene that emerged from the 924 Gilman Street club in Berkeley, California. The band's early releases were with the independent record label Lookout! Records. In 1994, their major-label debut Dookie, released through Reprise Records, became a breakout success and eventually shipped over 10 million copies in the U.S. Alongside fellow California punk bands Bad Religion, the Offspring, Rancid, NOFX, Pennywise and Social Distortion, Green Day is credited with popularizing mainstream interest in punk rock in the U.S.
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams, sometimes known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American record producer, songwriter, rapper, and singer. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he has produced songs for various recording artists. In 1999, he became lead vocalist of the band N.E.R.D., which he formed with Hugo and drummer Shay Haley. Williams has been widely referred to as one of the most influential and successful music producers of the 21st century, having had a significant impact on the sound of modern popular music.
Nerina Natasha Georgina Pallot is a British singer, songwriter and producer, who has released seven albums and over a dozen EPs. She was nominated for British Female Solo Artist at the 2007 BRIT Awards and nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for "Sophia" in the category of 'Best Song ' in the same year. Besides her own material, Pallot has written songs for Kylie Minogue and Diana Vickers. She mostly tours around the UK and is married to record producer Andy Chatterley.
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who originally formed in 1996 as Runston Parva, before reforming as Parva in 2000, and releasing one studio album, 22, in 2003, before renaming and establishing themselves in their current name that same year. Since their formation, the band has consisted of lead vocalist Ricky Wilson, guitarist Andrew "Whitey" White, bassist Simon Rix, keyboardist Nick "Peanut" Baines and since 2013 drummer Vijay Mistry, who replaced founding drummer Nick Hodgson following his departure from the band in late 2012.
"The Last of the Famous International Playboys" is a song by British solo artist Morrissey. Co-written by Morrissey and former Smiths producer Stephen Street, the song was Morrissey's third release after the Smiths break-up. Morrissey was inspired lyrically by the East End gangster brothers the Kray Twins, whom he believed to be an example of the media glamourizing violent criminals. Street took influence from the Fall for the song's music, with the intro resembling that of "The Man Who Sold the World" by David Bowie. The single was the first Morrissey solo single to feature his former Smiths bandmates Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce, and Craig Gannon.
"Maps" is a song by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs from their debut full-length album, Fever to Tell (2003). The song is about the relationship between Liars frontman Angus Andrew and Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead singer Karen O. Released in September 2003, the song reached number nine on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 26 in the United Kingdom. The band performed the song at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards, and the music video received extensive play on MTV.
The Maccabees were an English indie rock band, formed in 2004 in London. They released four albums: Colour It In in 2007, followed by Wall of Arms in 2009, Given to the Wild which was released on 9 January 2012 and their last album Marks to Prove It released on 31 July 2015. The band announced that they decided to disband in August 2016, with farewell gigs in 2017.
Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr., known professionally as Mika, is a singer-songwriter born in Beirut, Lebanon, and raised in Paris and London.
Stephen Paul Manderson, better known by his stage name Professor Green or simply Pro Green, is an English rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, television personality and mental health activist from London.
Jasmine Lucilla Elizabeth Jennifer van den Bogaerde, better known by her stage name Birdy, is a British singer. She won the music competition Open Mic UK in 2008, at the age of 12.
LuckyMe is a United Kingdom-based record label and design studio specialising in the release of new electronic, hip hop, pop, rock and underground dance music. Referred to as "one of the most innovative and prolific independent record labels of the decade" and acclaimed for "distinctive visual arts projects and collaborations".
Haim is an American rock band, based in Los Angeles and comprising three sisters, Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim. In addition to their primary instruments, each is proficient in several others.
"Redemption Days" is a song by singer-songwriter Josh Osho. It was released as the first single from his debut studio album, L.I.F.E, on 4 September 2011. The single version features Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ghostface Killah. The album version features only vocals by Osho himself. The single has so far peaked at number 89 on the UK Singles Chart. The song includes a sample from "Lucky Man" by The Verve.
Victoria Loren Kelly is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained recognition after posting videos on YouTube as a teenager, and made it through to Hollywood week on the ninth season of American Idol in 2010. Thereafter, she independently released her self-produced debut EP in 2012, Handmade Songs.
Louisa Rose Allen, known professionally as Foxes, is an English singer, songwriter, and model. Foxes' debut album, Glorious, was released in 2014, and features the UK top 20 singles "Youth", "Let Go for Tonight" and "Holding onto Heaven". Her vocals were featured on Zedd's 2012 single "Clarity", which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.
George Ezra Barnett is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. After releasing two EPs, Did You Hear the Rain? (2013) and Cassy O' (2014), Ezra rose to prominence with the release of his hit single "Budapest", which reached number one in several countries. His debut studio album, Wanted on Voyage, was released in June 2014, reaching number one in the UK and the top ten in seven other countries. It was also the third-best-selling album of 2014 in the UK.
Pocko is an independent press and a creative agency headquartered in London, with offices in Los Angeles, and Milan. Pocko has three main fields of operation: publishing – under their publishing arm, Pocko Editions; a communication and creative consultancy, Pocko Lab; and a talent agency, Pocko People – representing illustrators, graphic designers, animators and photographers.
Lauren Henson, better known by her stage name Indiana, is a British singer-songwriter from Loughborough. Her 2015 debut album, No Romeo, includes the UK top 20 single "Solo Dancing" (2014).
Romantic Works is the third studio album by English musician Keaton Henson, released on 16 June 2014. The album features cellist Ren Ford on the majority of songs.
The Gloaming is the debut studio album by the contemporary Irish/American music group The Gloaming. It was released on January 20, 2014 on Real World Records, and on Brassland Records in America, Justin Time Records in Canada, and Planet Records in Australia.